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barons of the north. Ian knew him and his two companions, Robert de Ros and Peter de Brais, fairly well. They were brave men, and Ian had nothing against them personally. However, their training and attitude toward government were diametrically opposed to his. Ian had long accepted Simon's concept that the good of the realm must be considered equally with or, sometimes, even above one's own interest. These men, like many others, did not disdain the good of the realm; they merely assumed that if their own interests were served, the realm would naturally also be served. Vesci, to Ian's amazement, offered himself and eight other northern knights as participants in Ian's party. |
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"You are very welcome, gentlemen, very welcome indeed," Ian responded with a quizzical lift to his brow. |
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"We would crave the honor, Lord Ian, of positions directly behind your banner," Vesci continued. |
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Ian stared into the broad, heavy face. A stubble of red beard showed on cheeks and chin, betraying the strong admixture of Norse blood. Briefly Ian wondered whether these men were taking this chance to remove someone known to be loyal to King John, who would make a weak link in the chain of northern strongholds that were to be committed to rebellion in the not-too-distant future. But Vesci's eyes met his purposefully, and Ian put that unwholesome thought aside. |
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"If you desire it, I will do my best to arrange the matter," Ian agreed slowly. |
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"We northerners must stand together," Vesci said pointedly. "If we do not, we may be picked off one by one. We thought it best to serve in the king's party this time. We wish to display our appreciation for the love the king has shown to one of our countrymen." |
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That remark was not so palatable, but Vesci and his friends gave Ian no chance to reply. They wheeled their horses and rode off, shouting "Till Tuesday," leaving Ian to digest the various implications. The most obvious was that they wished to draw Ian into their group by |
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